Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the vision behind Nigeria’s new regional development commissions is to unlock the unique strengths of each region for the country’s collective prosperity, crediting President Bola Tinubu for the initiative while stressing that the commissions must be judged by results.
Receiving the leadership of the South West Development Commission, led by board chairman Olubunmi Adetunmbi, at the State House, Shettima said the commission must be known for delivery rather than bureaucracy, with success measured by the quality of roads built, jobs created and communities transformed. He urged the commission to work closely with state governments, traditional institutions and the private sector, stressing that development succeeds through collaboration rather than competition, and encouraged peer review with other regional development commissions to share ideas.
Shettima said every project undertaken by the commission must be transparent, measurable and capable of attracting private investment, with government’s role being to create an enabling environment for that investment to thrive. Adetunmbi commended the Tinubu administration’s reforms that led to the creation of the regional commissions and briefed the vice president on the commission’s proposed roadmap for infrastructure and human capital investment across the region, including plans for a baseline study to guide its programmes, while seeking guidance on working harmoniously with state governments through the National Economic Council.
